The Snow Queen
by starwenn
Summary: Set between "Empire" and "New Hope." Leia, Han, and Chewbacca must rescue Luke from the clutches of the Queen of a planet of snow and ice.


**The Snow Queen**

Rating: PG

Parings: Han/Leia

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Lucsafilm and the Walt Disney Company.

Notes: This is set in the three years between _A New Hope_ and _The Empire Strikes Back._

Han looked over his shoulder at Leia as the Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Princess?" The smuggler made a face. "Norweden has always been neutral. Queen Frostra is pretty good about looking the other way unless you try to melt her ice castle or something. I heard that the Empire's tried four times to get her to join them. She trades with them, but she's not officially Imperial."

"Norweden can't afford to stay neutral much longer." Leia peered around his shoulder at the blue and white sphere that glistened just beyond the cockpit window. "They're may be on the Outer Rim, but several shipping lanes do go by this way, and they've just started to mine at least two kinds of crystals used as reflectors for blasters."

Luke pushed between them, his blue eyes wide. "It's beautiful," he whispered, almost reverently. "I've never seen anything like it."

"You won't be saying that once you've tried to walk through a snowbank that's up to your knees." His pilot friend shivered. "Give me a nice, warm space ship anyday." Han's co-pilot, the massive furry Wookie Chewbacca, let out a series of barks that indicated his agreement.

"It's not as cold as, say, Hoth." The Princess was already looking up information on her data pad. "They do have warmer months that can get up to as much as 40 degrees. That's when the snow melts and the local dewdrop flowers are harvested for their spring festival. It's also how, unlike Hoth, they can sustain human habitation. There's villages, small towns, and even cities, but they're spread out."

"They mainly export flowers and vegetables. Sometimes really exotic stuff." Han smirked as Leia raised an eyebrow at him. "What? I've done a little business on this planet. I've paid attention to what goes in and out of the country. They have hothouses in several major cities that raise crops for the outlying villages. Some of the most prized flowers in the galaxy come from this iceberg. We smuggle 'em to other Outer Rim planets where flowers are harder to grow."

The Millennium Falcon entered the atmosphere over what appeared to Luke to be a series of sparkling lights. As they got closer, he realized the "lights" were tall spires made from blue and white crystal that glowed from within. "It's beautiful," Luke gasped, his blue eyes widening.

"Yeah, if you like freezing your rear end off." Han finally settled the Falcon down at a frost-covered airfield just outside of the city. "Not to mention, this is just the cities. The outlying areas are infested with bandits and trolls and tauntauns. Most people stick to their settlements and leave the country to the criminals."

Leia was already running her finger across her holo-pad. "Trolls are mischievous creatures with, it's said, dark magical powers. They have been known to attack larger animals, but that's mainly for food. They mainly use their powers to play pranks on humans. Some of those pranks can be quite dangerous."

"Those idiots?" Han rolled his eyes. "You leave them alone, they'll leave you alone." Chewie growled and frowned. His partner made a face as they landed on a hard crystal surface. "No, I don't count the one time they chased us when we were delivering spices. You stole their dinner!" Chewie's series of growls and arm-waving indicated that he remembered the incident too well. "I told you not to take that tauntaun meat! I can get you all the tauntaun meat you want the next time we load up on supplies!"

"Enough, you two." Leia set her pad aside. "The queen won't be meeting us. Something about being called away to her palace in the Far North. We'll be greeted by her second-in-command, Lady Gerda."

Indeed, an older woman awaited them as they disembarked. She sported a heavy pale blue velvet cloak trimmed with thick wampa fur and a blue gown that sparkled with crystals and beads. A narrow circlet of crystal beads lined her long silver hair. Her eyes were a lovely warm dark blue, and her cheeks were rosy despite her pale skin. Truthfully, Leia felt dowdy next to this elegant woman in her white quilted Alliance snow-weather uniform.

"It's wonderful to meet you." The older woman grasped her hand. She was flanked by two towering men in shiny crystal armor and visors that covered their faces. "I'm Lady Gerda of the Snowflake Hills clan, the emissary of Queen Frostra."

"I'm Princess Leia, of the Organa clan." She nodded at Luke and Han behind her. Luke gawked at every single building, his mouth hanging open. Han leaned casually against Chewie, awaiting even the slightest sign of danger. "This is Commander Luke Skywalker, also of the Alliance, Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon, and Chewbacca, his first mate."

"Charmed to meet all of you." Lady Gerda clasped Luke's hand next. "My boy, I've heard so much about you. They say you're the one who destroyed the Death Star. That was a brave and wonderful thing you did, young one."

Luke turned red under his snow cap and raised goggles. "Thank you, Your Ladyship. Your planet's beautiful! I was raised on a desert planet. I've only read about snow before."

"We'll have to show you every bit of our city. It may be cold, but we call it home." Gerda turned to Han. "You can put your weapon away, Captain. I have my own guard with me." She nodded at Chewbacca. "You too, furry one. As long as you're with the royal entourage, you're safe."

Han finally eased off of Chewie and looked like he was considering it for a minute before finally sliding his blaster back into its holster. "All right, Your Ladyship." His familiar annoying smirk spread across his face. "Since you asked so nicely."

She lead them to a wide white vehicle trimmed with silver curls on either side. It was pulled by two of the large, shaggy tauntauns. "It's easier to ride here by repulser-sleigh. The weather is too cold for most ordinary landspeeders, and snowspeeders are mainly reserved for deliveries and the military."

Luke's jaw dropped even further when they entered the city. The shining spires gave way to smaller, but equally charming, buildings made of stone and crystal. These were the homes and stores for ordinary citizens, the merchants and everyday workers.

They kept going until they came to one of the largest houses, a tall crystal rectangle that wasn't quite as spectacular as the buildings near the air field, but was more elaborate that the workers' homes. The armored guard tugged on the reins of the tauntauns, stopping them right at the main door of the house. The snow to the walkway was being blown away by blue crystal droids that slid along on the icy paths. A glow came from an all-crystal enclosure off to the side of the building.

"This is my home. You may rest and refresh yourselves here while Queen Frostra returns from the city." Lady Gerda smiled at Luke's wide blue eyes that took in every detail. "I take it you approve of my home, Commander."

Luke finally remembered where he was and pulled his head away. "Oh yes, Your Highness. Forgive my staring, but I've never seen anywhere like this before."

"I daresay I'd be the one staring if I were on your desert planet. I've lived here all my life." One of the guards hurried around to the side of the repulsor-sleigh and helped Lady Gerda out. "Would you like to see my hot house, Commander? You too Captain, Your Highness, Mr. Chewbacca."

Leia smiled back as the guard helped her out. "I'd love to. I haven't been in a hothouse since Alderaan."

"If you've seen one flower, you've seen 'em all." Han insisted. He stretched as Chewie helped him and Luke out. "I'm gonna take a nap, preferably somewhere warm." Chewie turned to Han with a growl...just as his stomach let out an even bigger one. "My co-pilot here could use some of that refreshment you were talkin' about, Your Ladyship."

The pale lady gave Chewie a wan smile. "Well, we do have some tauntaun steaks in the kitchen we could spare. I don't suppose you need them cooked."

"Nahh, he'll eat 'em any old way." The lanky captain shivered. "Could we go inside? I'm freezin' out here."

Gerda shivered and pulled her cloak further around her. "Certainly. I'll have my cook prepare hot dewdrop fruit cider for all of us."

She lead them through the doors and into a sparkling stone wall of blue and white. The colors were echoed in the soft blues and creams of the frosty wood and velvet furniture. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead. Holo-art with silver frames depicted men and women in fine crystal-studded white gowns and robes, their massive crowns framing hair so pale, it resembled the snow outside.

"These are the Kings and Queens of our planet over the years." Gerda stopped in front of the last holo-frame. "This one is of the current Queen, Frostra. She's ruled the planet for ten years now."

"Wow." Luke couldn't stop looking at her. Everything about Frostra was crystal. Her white hair and lashes were laced with sparkling diamonds. Her fingernails were stardust, and her lips were ice blue. "She's beautiful. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Han just made a face. "Yeah, but I heard all that ice is in her veins. Rumor has it that her heart is as cold as her castle. She'll just as sure as dump you in her dungeon and let you freeze or make you into a slave as look at you."

The younger man just couldn't help himself. He'd never seen anyone like her. Those pale blue eyes flashed with intelligence and strength, and her lips were set in a tiny little smile that seemed to beguile him. It was too bad they'd only get to see each other in a formal meeting. He'd really like to get to know her someday. He didn't leave the holo-art until Leia finally dragged him along.

After a rest period and a lunch of roast tauntaun and snow sprouts in their rooms, Luke and Leia followed Lady Gerda to the hot house on the side of the manor. "Your home is really lovely, Your Ladyship," Leia said kindly. "It reminds me a bit of our home at Alderaan." Her voice choked up a bit, like it always did when she thought of Alderaan. "We had four Norweden crystal chandeliers, and furniture in three parlors made from frost wood."

"I'm so sorry about what happened to Alderaan." Lady Gerda frowned, her own blue eyes becoming concerned. "That's part of why we're hesitant to support the Alliance. We don't want the Empire to come down on us the way they did on your planet."

"But that's why you need to join." Leia leaned over a spicy-scented yellow flower with star-shaped petals and inhaled it deeply. "The more planets pledge their support, the more we can keep catastrophes like the destruction of Alderaan from happening again."

Luke strolled through rows and rows of colorful flowering plants. He'd rarely seen plants in his life that weren't for harvesting moisture, never mind ones as bright and cheerful as these. He finally stopped before a row of blood-red flowers with a sweet smell that grew in hearty green bushes. He reached for one, but drew back when the stem pricked his finger.

"Ouch!" He sucked at his wounded digit as Leia and Lady Gerda hurried over. "That flower bit me! What did I do?"

The lady laughed and took a pair of shears from a work table nearby. "You didn't do anything. Commander. Roses have sharp thorns that protect them from intruders." She cut the flower, wrapped the stem in a bit of paper, and handed it to Luke. "Here, Commander. A gift, from me to you."

His smile could have melted every bit of snow for miles around. "Thank you, Your Ladyship!"

"Call me Gerda." She clipped another rose for Leia. "And this one is for you, Your Highness."

Leia buried her nose in it. "It smells wonderful. My mother wore a perfume made from Alderaan roses for years." She looked up with a smile. "And you can call me Leia."

"Look!" Luke pointed out the window. "It's snowing again!" Indeed, the snow was coming down in full-force. It was so hard, they could barely see out the window.

"Ahh." Lady Gerda laughed. "I see that the white bees are swarming." She joined Leia and Luke at the window, smiling at their confused expressions. "That's what locals call the blizzards. They're white bees, gathering the frost nectar to create the crystals in the mountains."

Luke's eyes never left the powdery crystals falling from the sky. "Do they have a queen bee?"

"Oh, yes." Gerda clipped another flower, a ruffly pale yellow starflower, and placed it behind her ear. "They say that the ruler of Norweden is the head of the bees. They use their powers to gather the harvest and send it out among the people, making sure that there's plenty of crystals to unearth, build with, and trade."

The commander's blue eyes were far away. "The Queen must be the most wonderful woman in the galaxy!"

"I just hope she'll change her mind and join the Alliance." Leia stroked the velvety red petals. "We need your crystals and your manpower. Your people are used to extreme temperatures, and we frequently make our headquarters in some very rugged places."

The elder lady sighed. "I'll see what I can do to talk to her. She can be stubborn when she sets her mind to it. She's almost as bad as her sister Zoma."

"Zoma?" Leia raised an eyebrow. "The Summer Lady? Queen Frostra's sister? I thought she left the planet. Some kind of dispute with her family a few years ago."

"She only left the castle." Lady Gerda clipped a handful of large ruffled flowers whose petals were so pale blue, they were almost translucent. "Her magic revolves around warmth and warmer climes. She keeps her own home and garden near the Misty Blue River. There's rumors that she wicked witch who turns children into flowers and adults who displease her into mindless beasts...but I know Zoma isn't like that. She's mostly just lonely."

"Poor woman!" Luke frowned. "Maybe we should visit her after we talk to Queen Frostra and bring her some fruit or cookies. Make her feel better."

Gerda sighed. "All she really wants is someone to talk to her. I really need to visit her as soon as we have this meeting." She nodded at the curtain of white that continued to fall. "It looks like the snow is letting up a bit. Why don't you take your friends and go outside and enjoy it, before Frostra returns?"

"Can we?" Luke swung to Leia, his bright blue eyes shining. "Can we, Leia? I've never played in the snow before!"

"And I haven't in a long time." She gave him a small smile. "All right. Just for a little while. We'll have to come in and dry off before Queen Frostra arrives."

"Let's bring Han, too." Luke put the rose on a table in the entrance. "I'll come back for this."

"Let's bring me to do what?" The lanky Captain shuffled downstairs, stretching his long limbs, while Chewbacca followed him.

Luke was already tying his cap. "We're going to go out in the snow, Han. Want to join us?"

Chewbacca nudged him and nodded at the windows. Han made a face. "Chewie, I just got warm!" The wookie's big paw waved at the windows again, throwing in a long, eager bark. "Ok, ok! We'll go out. Just let me get my coat."

"This is going to be so much fun!" Luke zippered his own coat as Leia pulled on her hat. "Do you think we'll see then Snow Queen when she arrives? Queen Frostra sounds amazing."

"With any luck, we'll be inside well before that." Leia smirked as she tied her thick nerf-wool scarf. "Race you to the door!"

"No fair!" Luke yelped as the princess pushed past him. "You got a head start!"

Above them, in the hills that overlooked the town, were three trolls. Gangling, furry, and about as dumb as a post, the trio of mischief-makers mostly confined their pranks to rolling snowballs and tossing rocks at unsuspecting humans, or letting out such noisy screeches that they created avalanches that could bury humans in their homes for days. Today, they had more ambitious plans.

"Look at this, brother!" The largest troll held a magnificent mirror. It shined in the darkness of their crystal cave, reflecting the ugly pig-nosed creature. "I made this myself, from the snow and our magic! Just crushed up the crystal, blew on it, and we have this!"

The second-largest troll pushed him aside, grabbing this wonder and looking it over. "But what does it do?" He ran a long claw down the mirror, creating a crack and making the most god-awful sound.

The smallest with the softest wavy fur winced. "It sure don't make pretty music!" she whined, throwing her paws over her ears.

"Gimme that!" The eldest troll snatched it back. "It's magic crystal. When it hits a human, it'll freeze them up, make 'em act the opposite of how they usually do."

"That sounds like fun!" The female troll giggled. "How does it work?"

"Like this." The old troll picked up a crystal. "Just break it, and let the shards fly!" He used the sharp crystal and his own claws to break the glass into a million pieces.

"I like this!" The second-largest let out a bark of a laugh. "Now, let's let the wind carry it away!" He gently pushed his shards into the wind, watching as the pieces blew helter-skelter in the air.

The largest troll turned his gaze to the big human house-cave at the bottom of the hill, pointing at three humans stumbling outside. "Hey! I ain't never seen those people! Let's play with them!"

"I like that." The smallest blew hers in the direction of the trio. "It'll be fun to see how they turn against each other!"

"There they go!" The largest troll blew his hard, scattering his shards to the four corners. "Ok, mirror, do what you're told! Turn those humans' hearts from warmth to cold!"

The snow was coming down lighter when they finally made it outside. Luke nearly fell to his knees in a snowdrift. "Look at this!" He grabbed snow and tossed it in the air, letting it flutter over his head with the flakes that were still coming down. He tilted his face toward the crystals as they blew overhead. "It's like thousands of little feathers!"

"It's cold." A heavy parka hood covered Han's head. His navy jacket almost blended in with the dark sky. He finally leaned over and made a ball from the snow in his hands. "Hey kid, incoming!"

Splat! The snow hit Luke dead center in the chest. "Hey!" Luke started to form a ball of his own as Leia and Chewbacca pushed past the drifts. "Two can play at that game! Take this!" He chucked the snow at Han as hard as he could.

"Yow!" Han had jumped out of the way. The snowball ended up hitting Leia. "Oh, that's the way we're going to play, huh?" She formed her own ball and hurled it at Luke. It hit him right in the face.

"Oww!" He wiped it off. "That's cold!" He threw another at her and hit her in the side with enough force to nearly land her in the snow.

Pretty soon, all four were throwing snow as hard as they could at each other and laughing more than any of them had in a long time. Even Chewbacca joined in, although his balls were usually three times the size of the others, thanks to his huge paws and strong arms. Chewie's balls could easily knock them head over heels into a snowbank.

After about twenty minutes, Leia finally put up a hand. "Let me catch my breath. I haven't had this kind of exercise since the last time we had to outrun the Imperials."

"You spend too much time in some office or the other." Han smirked. "You need to get out more, Your Worship. Have a little fun once in a while."

Leia made a face at him. "This war won't win itself, you know. Some of us care if the rest of the galaxy lives or dies."

Luke wasn't paying attention to their usual argument. "I wonder," he murmured, "what the Snow Queen will be like when we see her?" He turned to Chewie. "Have you ever seen her?"

The big brown Wookie shrugged and let out a bark. Luke thought he was getting better at understanding the big navigator. That sounded like a "sure, kid." "I can't wait to meet her. I hope she's as beautiful and graceful as her holo-portrait."

"Maybe we'd better get inside." Chewie barked at Han, whose eyes were now on the hill behind them. "I swear I saw something move up there. I think we're bein' watched."

Leia turned in the same direction and only saw the wind blowing the snow into more mounds. "You're imagining things. All I see up there is snow."

"It is getting dark, though." Luke shivered as another burst of wind howled across the yard, sending snow and ice everywhere. "I think it's time to go in."

"Yeah, kid." Han shielded his face with his gloved hands. "Before we're blown half-way back to the Falcon."

"I think we ought to...owww!" Luke blinked rapidly as glittering ice shards hit him right in the face, One lodged in his eye, sticking right by the lashes. "That really hurt!"

"Luke?" Leia waddled to his side in the snow. "Are you all right? Let me see your eye."

He pushed her away harder than was really necessary. "Leia, cut it out! I'm fine! You don't need to play princess for everybody!"

The girl's mouth dropped. "You don't have to be rude! I was just trying to help!"

"Well, don't!" He pushed her so hard, she toppled backwards in the snow.

Han grabbed Luke's hand. "That wasn't necessary, kid. She was being nice. What's gotten into you?"

"Don't call me a kid!" The youth yanked his hand away. "I'm not a kid! It's not like you're that much older than I am! You treat me like a five-year-old!"

"You're acting like one right now." The older smuggler glared at him. "K...Luke, knock it off. Pushing people wasn't necessary. Why don't we go inside and see if we can get whatever it is that's in your eye out?"

"No!" Luke stumbled back. "Leave me alone, all of you! Just...leave me alone! I don't want to be a part of this anymore!" He turned on his heel as well as he could and stomped off into the snow, vanishing in the winds.

"Luke!" Leia started after him. "Luke, where are you? Luke!" She turned to Han, worry creasing her brow. "We have to stop him. He doesn't know this planet. He could freeze to death!"

"I'm more worried about how he was acting. That's not like the kid." Han nodded as Chewie growled. "Chewie says he can try to sniff around for Luke, but the snow may be blocking a lot of his scent."

Leia was already starting towards the house. "I'm going to borrow the repulsor-sleigh from Lady Gerda. We'll be able to catch up with him faster in the sleigh than on foot."

"I'm right behind you." The captain added, he and his towering first mate following on her heels. "Let's go save Luke from the snow and himself."

The snow continued to rage around him, but Luke barely noticed. He just wanted to get away. All those two ever did was treat him like he was a baby. Like he was less than they were. So he wasn't a captain or a princess. He blew up the Death Star! Neither of them did that, even if Han did help. He didn't care about them or anything else. Let that stupid Empire come! Darth Vader didn't scare him. His chest felt heavy and numb, the warmth normally inside freezing from within.

As he gazed into the raging wind, he heard the silvery tinkling of bells on the horizon. As they came closer, the most magnificent repulsor-sleigh he'd ever seen hovered up to him. It was easily twice the size of Lady Gerda's. The sides were trimmed with silver leaf and chiming bells. Crystal beads sparkled on the curling ends. Each of the six white tauntauns who pulled the carriage were more magnificent and spirited than the next.

A figure swathed all in white fur, velvet, and crystal sat next to another figure in silver armor. "Hello, my boy." Frostra of the holo-art gazed out from under lashes so pale, they resembled the crystal tiara in her creamy white hair. "What brings you out here? Humans can't survive in weather like this."

"You're...you're beautiful." He couldn't help staring. "I've never seen anyone so beautiful."

The queen's smile was as icy as her hard, pale blue eyes. "Thank you, my boy. What are you doing out here?"

"I'm..." He looked around, and realized that he didn't quite know where he was. "I guess I'm lost."

"Perhaps it's not such a bad thing to be lost." Frostra put out a hand covered in white velvet. "Come to the Castle of the Seven Crystals with me. I think you'll do admirably as a plaything for me, a doll I can amuse myself with. You have a...a certain power...to you."

"Really?" Luke's grin could have melted every last bit of snow. "Thank you!"

She helped him into the carriage. "One more thing, my little one. If you're to be my plaything, I must give you a kiss. It's the only way you'll survive at my home in the Frozen North."

The moment she pressed her lips against his, Luke let out a gasp. His heart, which was already icy from the trolls' power, suddenly froze over and became a lump of ice. He felt like he would die. After a few moments of his heavy breathing and clutching his heart, he opened his eyes again...and they were pale and icy as her own, without a hint of feeling or compassion in them.

"Much better. You'll be such a lovely little toy." She stroked his head. "I think I'll keep you, if no one comes to claim you. I won't let my summer sister have you. She tries to take too many of my toys. You'll be mine, and mine alone."

The driver finally turned them north, with the enormous carriage vanishing in the swirling blizzard.

"Han, can't you push this thing any faster?" Leia made a face, at least as much as she could when it was wrapped with heavy scarves against the blinding snow. "At this rate, we're never going to find the road, much less Luke!"

His bright hazel eyes managed to glare at her through the wrappings. "I'm doin' what I can in this mess, Your Worship. You think I ain't worried about the ki...Luke? He ain't like you n' me. He's never been in weather like this before."

"We used to get snow in Alderaan, mostly up in the mountains, but nothing like this." Her sigh was barely audible in the raging wind. "At this time of year in Alderaan, it would have been springtime. The fields would have been green and filled with wildflowers, and the redberry trees would be in bloom..."

Chewie growled. His best friend rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. How can you be freezing? You're the one with the fur!" He turned to Leia, a bit more concerned. "You really miss...well, I can't blame you, given what, well, happened. I guess that's somethin' I don't understand m'self. I left Corellia and never looked back." Another deep growl rent the frigid air. "Qi'da doesn't count, buddy!"

She huddled into the blankets they'd brought for warmth. "I wish I could see one more garden like the one in that surrounded Aldra Castle. It was so beautiful. I used to run and play among the fountains and flowering fruit trees."

Han shivered and wiped the gathering snow from his brow. "Wish we were there now. We'd be warmer, anyway."

Chewie sniffed, howling. He pointed his big paw at a light in the snowy woods around them. "What is it, boy? What do you see?"

The snow barely obscured a narrow road that lead further into the woods. It seemed a little less heavy here. The path had been cleared of ice and debris. Tiny snowdrops bent in the wind, almost touching the frozen whiteness on the ground. "Han, turn that way." She waved her gloved hand. "Even if we don't find someone who can give us directions, we'll at least be able to get out of the snow."

"I like the 'getting out of the snow part.'" He tugged on the reigns, managing to get the tauntauns to turn around. "I'm not so sure I like the idea of turning off the main road. Something doesn't seem right here. Roads don't appear out of nowhere."

"There is something strange about it." The princess shivered and dug further into the furry blankets. "But what choice do we have? We either see if we can find a place to stop and ask about Luke on that path, or freeze to death."

The further along they went, the less snow they saw. By the time they were deep in the woods, the blizzard had subsided. Indeed, it seemed to be summer in this part of the planet. A rainbow of flowers bloomed in soft green fields. Velvety green leaves shaded them overhead. Birds chirped in the branches. Leia got so warm, she was able to unwrap her scarf and headgear and remove her gloves. She and Han even took their coats off.

The path lead to a lovely little cottage in the center of the woods. It was a charming, old-fashioned place, with a straw thatched roof and bell-shaped pink and blue flowers twining around the stone walls. An iron gate and stone fence surrounded a beautiful garden that was filled with every flower Leia had ever seen. There were wooden benches and even a small fountain gurgling and splashing. A narrow river flowed just beyond the back gates.

Han was the last one in before the gate shut. "Hey!" He grabbed at the handles. "Chewie!" The Wookie on the other side shook the metal bars until they rattled and let out a growl that rumbled in the trees. "Buddy, see if you can get over the wall somewhere. I can't get this open."

"Hello?" Leia was startled when a lovely woman with long golden ringlets strolled out. She wore a simple summer outfit with a frilly laced bodice and bright flowered skirt. The brim of her straw hat was laden with every type of flower in the garden, and she carried more in her basket. Her eyes were the same color pale blue as Queen Frostra's, but they were filled with warmth. "Who's there? May I help you?" The way her mouth crinkled when she smiled and the slight rings around her blue eyes indicated that she was perhaps a decade or so older than Leia.

The princess jumped and turned around. "Oh! Hello, miss. I'm sorry we trespassed, but we needed to get off the road and out of the snow. My name is Leia. My friend Han and Chewbacca and I are looking for a young man named Luke Skywalker. He ran off into the blizzard, and we're afraid he may have gotten lost, or worse."

"I'm Zoma, the summer witch, and princess of Norweden." She laughed at Leia's surprised expression. "You expected me to live in a palace. I was never comfortable with living in some cold, lonely castle like my sister Frostra. I'm happier outdoors, in my own little home. I gave up the throne voluntarily after our parents died and came to live here."

"You're a witch?" Leia raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like any witch I've ever seen."

"You expected a witch to be old and ugly, like they are on most planets. On Norweden, most witches are healers and wise women, not evil crones." She cut a lovely scarlet rose like the one Gerda gave to Luke. "Here, my dear. For you."

Leia smiled. "Thank you." She took a deep sniff of the fragrant blossom. "It's lovely! So sweet. It smells like spring. It reminds me so much of my friend Luke. He was so excited when Lady Gerda showed us hers. He never saw flowers that weren't for crops before he joined the Rebellion."

"We call them scarlet beauty roses, because of the color. They're only grown in hothouses here, and in my garden." Zoma smiled. "Perhaps you could stay for a while." She ran her finger through Leia's braid. "I could even brush your hair. You really do have very lovely hair, dear."

She was going to say no, but something in the woman's eyes made her pause. "Yes," she whispered. "I'd like that. No one has brushed my hair for me since my mother...well, for a long time."

"Then I'll be your mother." Zoma gently sat Leia down on a soft chair on one side of the main living room. "I get very lonely out here by myself. I haven't had a plaything for myself in a long time. Frostra always ends up with the better toys."

"Plaything?" Leia frowned as Zoma unpinned her long brown tresses, letting them spill past her shoulders and nearly to her waist. "What do you mean?"

"Shh, dear." The witch picked up a hair brush made of a soft polished amber wood and ran it slowly through Leia's long hair. "You'll make a fine companion for me. You don't need to find that young man of yours. You'll stay right here, and be my friend. You'll make a very pretty little doll."

Han stomped across the garden and right up to the two women. "Lady, why did you shut Chewie out? He's my partner. I don't make a move without him." He narrowed his eyes the moment he saw Leia. She perched on the chairs with her eyes closed and her face serene, as if she were in a trance.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine." Zoma continued to brush Leia's hair, as if he hadn't spoken. "I do need to figure out what to do with you. I don't need two dolls."

"Lady, she is not a doll!" Han's growl was nearly as deep as Chewie's. "I don't know what they call us here, but where I'm from, we're called 'human bein's,' an' we ain't here for your amusement. We've gotta find Luke!"

"You're a mouthy young man, aren't you? And you growl worse than the actual animal outside." She moved her brush from Leia to Han's hair. "You have lovely hair, too. I have no need for a young man, but I could use a nice pet. Something to cuddle in my lap and chase mice and moles away from my garden." She ran her fingers over his throat. "Yes, you will make a handsome lap dog. You'll be the companion for my friend."

Han tried to protest, but to his horror, his words came out as barks and whimpers. The more she ran the brush through his hair, the shorter and furrier he became...until he found himself running around on four legs on the ground and harrier than Chewie. "That's a good boy." He tried to back away, but she swept him into her arms. "Yes, you're a very nice little dog." As she continued to brush his fur, a heavy collar and a bright woven leash appeared around his neck. "There. That's a good pet. I far prefer you this way."

The witch put the brush aside and went into the garden. "Now," she said to the dog in her arms, "to get rid of these." The moment she waved her hands, every single rose bush sank into the ground and vanished. "If there are no roses, she won't remember that silly young man she keeps talking about, and she'll never leave." The dog whimpered and scratched at her. The witch only stroked his head. "And neither will you."

She dropped Han on the ground and tied his leash to a table leg, then went to Leia to give her hair a few more strokes. "This should do it." Her fingers stroked Leia's forehead. "You will awaken now, my little companion. Awaken."

Her brown eyes fluttered open, but Han could see how empty they were. "Where am I?" They gazed around as if they'd never seen the room before. "Why am I here?"

"Why, to be my little child. I'll be your mother." She handed Han to her. "I even have a little pet for you. This is your home, and it always will be. You'll like it here. It never snows, and only rains when the garden needs watering. I'll dress you and feed you, and you will help me with my flowers. I'll teach you what every single one is and how it can be used in herbs and dried bouquets."

Leia only nodded absently, stroking Han between his ears. "Yes, Mother." Han tried to whimper, but she only rubbed his belly.

For Leia, days passed blissfully. Mother Zoma taught her the name of every flower in the garden. She learned how to plant them, and when, and how they should be cut, and what was the best vase for them. Zoma did everything for her, brushed her hair and dressed her and washed her and read stories to her. Her little dog kept scratching at the gate, whining to be let out. Leia thought she sometimes saw a huge, hulking hairy creature skulking behind the gate, but then Mother Zoma would call her to help pick sweet hyat berries, and the creature would be gone again.

It didn't occur to her that anything was wrong until she was on her knees in the garden one day, planting lace tulips, when her dog trotted out with Mother Zoma's straw hat in its mouth. "What is it, boy?" The dog nudged one of the flowers on the crown. Leia had never seen anything like it. There were no flowers like it in the garden. It had velvety blood-red petals, and it smelled as sweet as a bowl of juju candy.

"These flowers..." she murmured, "they remind me of somebody." The dog leaped on her knee and waggled his tail, barking in hope that she'd remember. "He was a friend...a handsome boy..." The clouds vanished from the deep brown eyes as suddenly as they'd came. "Oh gods! How could I have forgotten?"

"Leia?" Zoma came around the corner with a basket on her hip. "Have you seen my straw hat? I need to remove one of the flowers..."

Leia turned to her with the hat in her hand. Her dark eyes were now as hard as amber. "What did you do to the roses?"

"The roses?" Zoma gave her a sweet little laugh. "I don't know what you mean, my pet."

"I'm not your pet!" She yanked the rose out of the hat's band. "This is the only rose I've seen in the garden. There used to be more. What did you do with them?"

"Made them vanish. I don't need them." Zoma frowned sadly. "I do need you. Everyone thinks I'm a horrible witch. They avoid me like I have some kind of disease! Maybe I shouldn't have done it, but I get terribly lonely here. I wanted you and your friend to stay. If you remembered your young man, you'd leave me, and I'd have no one again. I thought, if I were good to you, and kind to you, I could keep you."

The girl glared at her, while the dog growled by her side. "You don't make friends by taking their memories and forcing them to stay with you! Where's Han and Chewie? The man and Wookie who came in with me? What have you done with them?"

Zoma sighed. "The Wookie is outside. I had no need for him. I was hoping he'd go away. Your friend is by your side. I had more use for him as a dog than as a human."

The dog pawed Leia's leg. "That's him, isn't it?" The fire in her eyes could have melted every bit of snow on the planet. "Change him back. Now."

"Very well." As soon as the summer witch's hand waved over the dog, he stood on two legs, and grew and grew until he was Han again. "There. Are you satisfied?"

"No!" Han yanked off the collar and leash, then whipped out his gun and aimed it at Zoma. "You'll be lucky if I don't shoot you in the heart for pulling that crap!"

Leia pushed his hand down. "I think us leaving her alone will be punishment enough." She looked the woman straight in the eye. "Where is Luke?"

The witch frowned and rubbed her head, her own eyes now a bit clouded. "I...I don't know. I never saw him here. My younger sister Princess Herfa may know. She and her husband live in a castle at Tivoli, about forty leagues down the road from my cottage."

Leia and Han went back into the bedroom to change into their winter clothes. When they came out, Zoma handed them a basket covered with a flowered cloth.

"Here." She pushed the basket into Leia's arms. "If you're going to insist on going on a fool's errand, you can at least be fed in the cold. I have a bottle of hot tea, fruit, bread, and dried meat for your Wookie friend."

"Thank you." Leia's eyes were still a bit hard. "Next time, Zoma, if you want a friend, try being one yourself and coming out of your garden once in a while."

"Yeah, lady." Her male friend crossed his arms. "I really don't appreciate you shutting my co-pilot out, and I didn't like being fuzzy, either."

Zoma still shook Leia's hand. "Good bye, dear, I still think you're crazy for doing this."

"I know," Leia told her. "But he's my friend."

Han nodded. "Who knows where he's gotten to in the cold?"

Another wave of Zoma's hand opened the gate for them. They rushed out as fast as they could, Han with his fingers still laying on the trigger of his blaster. Chewie just barely managed to dodge the gate as it opened and nearly flattened him.

"All right boys." Leia tossed the basket in the back of the repulsor-sleigh before jumping in herself. "Let's get out of here, before that lady changes her mind and decides she wants me to stay that badly."

Han nodded. "Yeah. No offense, Chewie, but I never want to be as fuzzy as you ever again." Chewie's bark sounded a bit questioning. "How long were we in there, anyway?" He raised his eyebrow as his co-pilot put up five fingers. "Five hours? It felt more like five weeks!"

"Probably part of her magic." Leia leaned over and secured the basket under the sleigh's seat. "Time must flow differently in her garden than it does elsewhere on the planet."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sticking around to find out more. I've had enough of magic gardens." Han shook the reigns on the tauntauns. "Ok fellas, let's go!"

The tauntauns took off down the road, leaving the blooming garden and the open iron gate far behind.

The blizzard had long subsided by the time the trio reached the castle. While there was still snow on the ground here, it wasn't as heavy or as cold as it had been in the city. Much like the buildings back at the city, the castle was made of stone and crystal. It reminded Leia a great deal of Lady Gerda's home with higher towers and a much smaller garden around either side.

One of the guards standing in front of the gate dropped his long crystal staff in front of them. "Halt! State your name and business."

"I am Princess Leia, formerly of Alderaan." She nodded at Han and Chewie. "This is Captain Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca. We're looking for a friend whom may have wandered this way, Commander Luke Skywalker. Princess Zoma told us that her sister might have some idea of his wherabouts."

"Princess Zoma, huh?" The guard snorted. "Nobody's seen her for a long time. Thought she was still in hiding." The guards still let them in, but not until they spent a good ten minutes discussing it.

"Thank you, gentlemen." Leia tugged at the reins. "Would you be so kind as to watch over our tauntauns while we're talking to Their Majesties?"

"We won't. Not our job." The guard took the reins when Leia pulled them to a stop. "We'll hand these over to the boys in the tauntaun stables. They'll look after 'em."

The other guard lead the trio through the heavy wooden doors and down a long hall. The furniture was mostly made of wood and woolly nerf pelt and was a little cozier than Lady Gerda's home. The walls were hung with brightly-dyed wool tapestries woven with pastoral scenes of daily life in this part of Norweden.

Two young people sat a small, cheerful parlor on the end of the hall. One was a woman, barely more than a girl, in bright woven dress that looked as if it were made from the same process as the tapestry. She had long red hair and glittering blue eyes.

Her companion looked a great deal like Luke. He had the same blond hair and nose and sunny smile. His eyes were a darker blue and more mischievous than Luke's gentle ones, and he was quite a bit taller, with paler skin. They were playing a game not unlike the one in the Falcon that Chewie hated to lose.

Herfa went right to Leia. "Your highness!" Her bow was more like a bob. "Forgive our guards for being overzealous. Lady Gerda contacted us and said that you would likely be coming this way. She told me that a friend of yours had vanished?"

"Yeah. His name is Luke." Han nodded at the young man who remained seated. "Looks kinda like that guy, but shorter."

"I'm her husband, Prince Delent." The youth frowned. "What happened to your friend? Gerda wasn't clear on that point. We could have our guards search for him."

"We're not sure ourselves." The former princess of Alderaan settled down gingerly in one of the chairs. Han and Chewie remained standing. "He just...lost his temper, then took off into the snow. That was over a week ago, and we haven't seen him since."

Han shrugged. Chewie barked. "Yeah, you said it, buddy." The shorter of the two waved his hand at the prince and princess. "Kid was actin' really weird when he took off. He was insultin' everyone in firin' range, bein' real nasty. That's not like him."

Herfa and Delent exchanged worried looks. Herfa turned to Leia. "Was your friend near the Fir Top Mountains when he ran off?"

"There were mountains behind us." She looked over her shoulder at Han. "That wind...the one that popped up just before Luke ran off...it came out of nowhere, didn't it?"

Han looked thoughtful. "Now that you mention it, yeah. It did. It wasn't as windy before that, or after it." His co-pilot let out a short bark. "Chewie swears he saw something moving on the edge of the one of the mountains. Wookies have really sensitive eyes. They can see a lot further than we can."

"The trolls." Herfa made a face. "Playing their pranks again. They must have used the mirror. Probably saw your friend and thought he'd be the perfect candidate."

"How can we change him back?" Leia bit her lip. "If we're going to make that meeting with the Snow Queen, we'll need all of us."

"The Snow Queen?" Herfa went to a holo-station. "You mean my sister. Gerda said you were going to try to get her to join the Rebellion. I wish you luck. I agree with your aims, but Frostra prefers to be neutral. Truth be told, I think she's just lonely, like Zoma. They both hide in their respective parts of the kingdom, while Delent and Gerda and I end up dealing with the day-to-day side of things."

Delent took her hand gently. "But you love it, dear. You love the people, and Gerda's like a mother to you." Han didn't miss sappy pure adoration in the guy's eyes. He was lucky, he thought. Too bad the princess wouldn't give him that kind of look, if he even wanted her to.

"And I love you, dear." Herfa gave her husband a hug and a kiss before looking up at the others. "I'd talk to Frostra. You said he was wandering in the snow. She's the one in charge of the snow and ice here. If she hasn't seen him, someone in her court might have."

Leia nodded thoughtfully. "Could you possibly contact your sister and tell her that we'll be attending that meeting after all? It'll just be a few days late, and at her castle instead of the city."

"We'll do what we can. It's not always easy to get through to her when the blizzards are going." Herfa gave them a gentle smile. "Why don't you sleep here tonight, and get a fresh start in the morning? We have plenty of room."

"That's very kind of you." The former princess of Alderaan gave her a small smile of her own. "I think we'll accept."

Han shrugged. "As long as you've got hot kaff and meat for Chewie, I don't care where we shack up for the night." Chewie gave his own growl of agreement.

"Very well." Delent stood and took Leia's arm. "Why don't we go see your rooms? As soon as you're settled, we'll see about some warmer clothes and better supplies for your trip up to the Frozen North."

Leia's room was small, but cozy and well-appointed, with more woven tapestries, a heavy wood and wool bed with bright woven blankets, and thick nerf wool carpets dyed in shades of red and gold. She, Chewie, and Han ate heartily together. She was surprised at how much fun Han could be when he wasn't being a scoundrel or a selfish idiot.

They headed out the next morning after a hearty breakfast. The prince and princess gave Leia and Han heavy velvet and fur coats and wool scarves and gloves, trimmed with colorful woven ribbons. Leia had a muff made from the softest white fur she'd ever felt. Chewie's fur had been brushed to a soft copper glow, and he'd even polished his bandolieer. They packed their repulsor-sleigh with cheese, dried meat, and hot-house fruits that were considered a delicacy on Norweden.

"Thanks for everything!" Leia hugged Delent. She couldn't help noticing Han's slightly jealous frown out of the corner of her eyes and smirked a little. "You know...if you were shorter," she went on, "you could almost be Luke."

Delent patted her shoulder. "I hope you find him. You've told us so much about him. He must be a truly wonderful person to have friends like you."

"Yeah, he is." Han took Leia's hand a little rougher than she thought was really necessary. "But we've really gotta move along, before we're late to meet with the queen."

"Here's the map." Herfa handed Leia a small holo-pad. "Just watch yourselves in the Thieves' Woods. We've been having problems with bandits raiding people's carts and stealing their valuables for months."

Han patted his blaster before taking the reigns. "Don't worry, Princess. Chewie n' I can deal with a few thieves. We do it all the time."

"All right." Herfa finally pulled back. "Stay safe!"

Delent nodded. "And good luck!" They stood at the gate and waved to the trio until they disappeared around a corner and out of sight.

The snowy forest seemed to continue for miles. It grew darker as they continued onwards. Light filtered through snow-topped trees, while tiny brown birds with sweet red caps chirped overhead. Leia pulled the velvet blanket with the gold thread trim around her and Han. The rhythmic clip-clop pace, broken only by the occasional bump on the path, made her feel a little sleepy. She leaned on Han's shoulder. Chewie kept an eye on the road in the back. Han wanted to steal his hand around her waist, but thought better of it. This was good enough for now.

Maybe he was being lulled to sleep by the pace, too. It would explain why he didn't see the bandits until it was too late. He thought they were just ancient brown leaves in the trees. It came as more of a surprise when those leaves leaped onto him, grabbing at his jacket.

"Hey!" Leia screamed when a female bandit in a scarlet coat leaped onto her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking your valuables, sister." She yanked at Leia's coat, trying to get it off. "Hey Tenner, I think this is made of real cottine velvet. Only royalty can afford that." Her long fingers snatched Leia's muff. "And this is kittatane fur! Ain't too many of those left in these parts." She tugged at Leia's braid. "Are you royalty, sister?"

"Yes," Leia snarled, "but not for this planet. And don't call me sister!"

Her fingers went around her blaster, but the bandit got to it first. "Don't even think about it," the girl snapped as she pointed Leia's at her chest. "You try it, and you'll have a hole in your belly the size of your fuzzy buddy back there. They won't kill you if I say you're mine, but I ain't got any problems with killin'."

It took five men and women to subdue Chewbacca, yanking his bowcaster out of his arms and pulling him down like a tauntaun. An elderly woman with coarse black hair nearly as thick as Chewbacca's put her arms around Han as two of her sons pried off his parka and took his blaster. Han tried to protest, but the woman gagged him with a strip of cloth from her pocket and threw him to her sons in the back.

"Let's take 'em back to our camp, Mudder." The girl stroked Leia in a way that sent fearful shivers down her spine. Her grin was feral and sharp as an icicle. "I'd like to keep this one, and the furry beast will look good with my collection."

Her mother gave them a nasty, toothless grin. "Suit yourself, Diefta. I claim the man. He's a real looker. Haven't had a good man in three years. Wore out m'last one. I think this one might last a little longer. He's got meat on his bones."

Diefta shoved Leia into the back of the sleigh. "Let me drive! Ain't never driven one of these fancy vehicles before! I wanna have fun!" She shook the reins, and they all took off like a shot before Leia could protest. Her brothers tied Han and Leia with heavy rope and clamped handcuffs on Chewie.

"Take us home!" her mother called over the thumping and bumping of the repulsors over rocks and roots on the path. "We'll decide what to do with our new prizes there."

"Home" was an ancient stone castle that looked like it had been abandoned decades ago. There were long cracks in the walls, and the tapestries were frayed and chewed by rodents. The snow was much heavier here than it had been back in Herfa's domain, and far colder and icier. The wind shook the laden branches, sending more snow raining down on them as the sleigh pulled in to the main courtyard.

They were dragged into a large main room, made smoky by the lack of chimneys. The smoke from the cook fire in the great fireplace just went out the open windows. At the very least, the bandits did share their food with them, allowing them small portions of thick tauntaun meat and stringy green brocchio vegetables.

"You're mine now, sister!" Diefa took Leia by her arm as soon as they finished eating. "You're gonna stay with all my pets, and be mine, at least until I get bored with ya." The princess watched helplessly as the old woman dragged Han in the opposite direction, towards the east side of the castle. Two men shoved Chewie behind the two young women. "You n' the furry beast. I like to keep the things I find."

Leia shoved her away, glaring at her. "I would thank you not to call me a 'thing.' I am not a thing, and neither is Chewbacca. This is the second time in less than a week that someone has tried to treat me like a toy. You Norwedens need to find better ways to amuse yourself!"

"Look who's so salty!" Diefa's gun pressed into Leia's side. "Keep movin'. If you upset me, I might just blast your head off, and your furry buddy's, too."

"Have you seen a young blond man?" Leia asked her. "Small, only a little taller than me. Golden hair, blue eyes. Answers to the name of Luke." Chewie growled and lifted his paw over Leia's head to indicate how tall. "He vanished a week ago. We were told he might be with the Snow Queen."

Diefa clapped a hand nervously over where she assumed her heart was. "Oh no. We don't got no dealin's with her. We don't like havin' our hearts frozen 'till we can't feel nothin' no more."

"That's why we have to find him." The princess bit her lip. "He's never been in snow before, and I'm afraid...I think something terrible has happened to him." Chewie nodded, tossing in a worried bark.

The thief's savage smile softened a bit. "You're really thinkin' of him, ain't ya? I ain't never had a man who weren't my brothers who I thought of that way. Mudder says I'm too wild, but I just ain't never found the right one. And the guy you were with...is he your brother? Or maybe your lover."

"Well, he's...I guess he's a good friend." Leia hoped the robber woman didn't hear the slight wistfulness in her voice. "I mean, he can drive me crazy, but he's also loyal and funny and helpful when he's not thinking about money."

Diefa snorted. "Only time I ain't thinkin' 'bout credits is when I'm thinkin' bout my collection."

They were shoved into a large room on the very end of the castle, near the stables. Animals filled every crack and crevice. Gray peace birds nestled in a cage in the eaves. A shaggy tauntaun was tied to the remains of a wall with a gold collar and a rope. The girl thrust her vibrator-knife under the poor creature's chin and laughed when it reared back in fright. "I like to scare this boy a little. Tickle him a bit. It's fun."

"It's not fun at all!" Leia snapped. "It's abusive! You shouldn't do that to animals!"

She tried to grab at the knife, and Chewie reached for it in anger. Diefa shoved Leia back into Chewie's arms. "I ain't hurtin' him! I just like seein' how he acts. He's a big coward, but he rides good." The creature let out a shocked honk and reared again, but that just made Diefa laugh harder. "He's mine, an' I can do what I want with 'em."

Leia ended up sleeping with Diefa that night. It was one of the least-comfortable nights she'd spent since the time she had to share a cramped bunk with three other women when they were stationed at the Crait salt flats. The savage girl robber threw her arm around Leia and hugged her like a rag doll. Her snoring was matched only by Chewie's as he tried to settle on a pallet of straw on the floor. Even when the princess finally managed to drop off, her dreams were all of Luke, trapped in a tower of ice and snow, somewhere far north...

 _Luke knelt at the feet of a stunningly beautiful woman dressed all in shimmering white. Her long, lithe form, swathed in velvet, white fur, and crystal beads, reclined in an ice throne on a frozen lake in the very center of the castle. Leia was shocked to see that the young Jedi's skin was blue under his padded snow outfit, almost the same color as his icy blue eyes._

" _Mother," he complained in an oddly thin voice, "why can't I figure this out? What is this puzzle you've given me?" Pieces of colored ice were scattered around him on the floor like shards of a rainbow. "Why is it taking so long? None of the other puzzles I've done have taken more than an hour or so! I want to be perfect, like you!"_

" _Patience, boy." The Snow Queen patted Luke on the head like he was a puppy or a recalcitrant child. "When you have figured it out, you'll be your own master, and can go wherever you like. Until then, you'll remain here as my dear companion and pet." She stroked his cold cheek with her velvet-clad fingers. "You do make a lovely pet. It's too bad I can't keep you for very long."_

" _Why?" Luke's loud whine was enough to make Leia cover her ears. "I want to stay with you forever! You're beautiful and perfect, not like those idiots back there on that dumb old, breaking-down Falcon. Everything here is perfect!"_

 _His perfect queen sighed. "You're human, my pet. Even with my protection and the will of the Force, you'll never be able to survive a full winter here. Humans weren't made to exist in such frigid conditions."_

" _But I don't want to leave!" He shoved the tiles away. "I'll never be able to figure this out, even with that stupid Force! Why did I ever think I could be a knight anyway? What did Obi-Wan know?"_

" _Obi-Wan Kenobi knows a great deal more than you do." Frostra smirked at Luke's surprise. "Oh yes, I knew General Kenobi well. He and Anakin Skywalker came here during the Clone Wars to get my mother's support. We've always been neutral. Father gave him artillery and weapons, but did not fully join the Republic army, which is likely why the Empire went fairly easy on us when they came into power."_

 _Luke made a face as he pulled out his lightsaber. "Stupid war! I lost everyone I had to this damn war! It's dumb, that's what it is! I just want everything to be perfect! Why would I want to be a Jedi, anyway? They all died! Just like Obi-Wan!" His blue face was purple with rage as he threw it against the crystal wall, sending chunks of crystal falling to the snow-covered floor._

 _His queen went to him and stroked his neck this time, calming his breathing. The young man's eyes drooped, and his face became more peaceful. "Shh, my little pet. I don't understand the Force entirely myself. Our powers come from a different, more mystical source. I do know that it's not something that takes years to train, rather like my own magic." She lead him to a pile of snow next to her throne. "Why don't you go to sleep? It'll do you some good. You'll awaken refreshed in the morning and ready to tackle the colored tiles again."_

" _I don't want to...sleep..." As Frostra continued to stroke Luke's neck, his eyes fluttered. "Well, maybe just for a little while. An hour or two..." He finally dropped off by her side, with her running her fingers through his golden hair and across his icy blue cheek._

"Luke!" Leia shot out of bed the second her eyes opened.

Her robber companion pulled the tauntaun-hair pillow over her head. "Could you not scream at this hour of the mornin', girl?"

"I have to get to him." She was already pulling on her heavy pants and thick shirt. "He's at the palace of the Snow Queen. He'll freeze if we don't save him!"

Diefa continued to hide under her pillow. "You are way too noisy for this early in the morning. You're gonna wake the whole castle."

"Good. We need to get out of here as soon as we eat breakfast." The princess clipped her belt and stuck the knife in a kittane-hide sheath, then went to Chewie. "Come on. Let's get Han, then go find the Frozen North. If we keep going up, we should hit it eventually."

Nasal tones honked from under the tauntaun-hide blankets. "Ask the tauntaun. He's been up there. He knows. Or so he says."

Leia frowned and stroked the beast's neck, letting him nudge her cheek. "But I don't speak tauntaun, and we left C3P0 with Mon Mothma and the Rebellion."

"He says he can take you there." A long, dirty nose and wild, thick black hair could be seen under the covers. "He knows where the Snow Queen lives. He has relatives up there, or something." Two black eyes squinted at Leia. "You ain't gonna be able to get out of here. Mudder's probably passed out drunk, but I ain't gonna let ya leave, and my brothers sure won't."

"You won't have much of a choice." Leia snatched the vibrator-knife out from under the robber's pillow and held it to her throat while she was still emerging from her blankets. "How does it feel now to be the one who gets tickled?"

Diefa stared at the knife until she went cross-eyed. "Don't feel too good."

"Chewie, tie her up and release the animals." Leia wrapped the girl's tauntaun-fur cloak around her arms. It was dirty, smelled like unwashed tauntaun, and was too big in the shoulders, but it would keep her warm. "We'll deal with her brothers next."

"What? Are you crazy? You can't take on the Snow Queen alone! You can't..." Chewie gagged the robber girl with a piece of woven cloth and rolled her in her blankets until she could no longer move and only her head stuck out. He shot the lock to the birds' cage open with his bowcaster and let the creatures fly out the window, while Leia cut the tauntaun free.

Leia dropped the muff next to the struggling girl. "You can keep this. I don't need it. Just stick to collecting objects from now on. Live creatures weren't made for your amusement."

"Sweetheart! Chewie!" Han met them in the hall. Like Leia, he was clad in a dirty tauntaun-skin jacket and heavy fur boots. A fur hat that was nearly bigger than his head covered his scruffy hair. "I got lucky. That old crone and her sons had so much ale last night, they passed out and are still snoring back there. I think it would take another Death Star attack to wake 'em up, and even then, they might not move for a few hours."

"We dealt with Diefa. She's unharmed, but I don't think she'll be capturing animals or humans again." Leia stroked the tauntaun's nose. "This gentleman is going to take us to the Frozen North. Diefa said he's from there and knows the way."

Han raised an eyebrow, but finally shrugged. "Ain't any stranger than anything else we've gone through on this trip. I managed to snare some dried beef and fruit and a jug of water from their stores. If we've got everything, let's see if we can get the repulsor-sleigh outta here, before that bitch of a thief manages to get free and wakes up her family."

They heard the first crash and screams of anger and surprise just as Han finished hitching the tauntaun up to the sleigh. Leia cracked the reins only moments before the first laser beams hit the ground where the sleigh had been. Han and Chewie exchanged a few blasts before the sleigh managed to turn a corner into the woods and out of sight.

It took several days, but the tauntaun seemed to know where he was going. The woods thinned out the next day, then ended all together. They were in a sparkling world of ice cliffs and snow mountains, surrounded by nothing but blinding whiteness. A blizzard whipped around their faces, causing Leia to pull up the fur wrap she'd taken from the robbers' castle around all but her eyes. It didn't seem to faze the tauntaun, which just kept running.

The shaggy beast finally stopped in front of a great gate made of pearly crystal that seemed to go on for miles. It opened with a creak as a larger sleigh trimmed with silver and fine white crystal trotted out, pulled by six tauntaun that were easily twice the size of their friend. Leia observed the slender silhouette of a woman wrapped in white velvet and fur seated in the back of the vehicle. The gates were left open, just a tiny bit.

"That must be her." Leia peered out first. "Looks like it should be ok. We just have to find Luke and get out of here."

"Easier said than done. Chewie," Han gave his buddy a nudge, "go open those gates." Han took the reins, driving the repulsor-sleigh into the courtyard as soon as his big furry friend pushed them aside. He drove the tauntaun into a smaller building that held parts and looked like it normally housed Frostra's sleigh. Leia gave their friend a pat and the last of the dried meat before they crept through the thick blocks of ice that passed for doors.

The Snow Queen's castle was massive and very cold. Leia couldn't help thinking it was also very lonely. No wonder Frostra had wanted Luke to remain with her. There was barely anything in the sharp icicle towers but ice and snow. No pictures or maps or knick-knacks, or even much furniture. Their footsteps squeaked on icy crystal floors, and they made the only noise in the entire castle other than the howling wind outside. It was beautiful and as empty as a tomb.

"Is it colder in here than out here," Han grumbled, "or is it just me?" Chewie barked, holding out his bowcaster. "Yeah, I don't like this either, buddy. It seems kind of strange that they just abandoned the place like this."

Leia tugged at her fur wrap. Even it couldn't keep out the chill that seeped into her bones. "We'll keep looking. Luke has to be here somewhere. I didn't see him in the sleigh. Besides, I can feel him."

"I can feel it?" Han scrunched up his nose. "What the hell does that mean, Your Worship?"

They stepped into the largest room, likely the Queen's throne room, from the dully glowing seat made of blue ice in the back. "I know because..." She'd no sooner opened her mouth than a familiar figure hunched next to the chair, grumbling over a pile of colored tiles, came into view. "Luke!"

He didn't even look up at the sound of his name, or when Leia rushed to his side. "Luke, are you ok? What happened?" She gasped when he looked up at her. "Your skin..."

"Kid...Luke?" Han rushed over with Chewie, only to stop short when he saw his friend. "Kid, you're blue. As in bright blue. As in, not a color that normally occurs in humans blue." Chewie's long, low growl was full of concern. His friend rolled his eyes. "I'm well aware that the blue tint is a good sign that he should have frozen to death by now. What I'd like to know is, how did he stay alive?"

Luke finally looked away from his tiles...and the icy lack of emotion in his eyes shocked Leia more than the anger in his expression. "Who are you? Who let you in? Go away, or I'll get my Snow Queen to turn you all into snowflakes!"

"Luke, it's us!" Leia tried to blink back the tears in her eyes. "Don't you know us? What has she done to you?"

"Nothing. I don't know you, and I don't care." Luke shoved her into the snow. "Go away! I'm busy. I have to solve this before Queen Frostra returns from the City."

"Solve what?" Han frowned. "Luke, what's going on?" He nodded at the door. "Chewie, go keep a look out for that Snow Queen. We'll take care of the kid." Chewie barked again, but he did return to the door, giving Luke one last concerned growl as he did.

"Luke, please!" Leia threw her fur cloak around him. "We've come all this way to rescue you!"

"I don't need rescuing." The frozen youth didn't even look at her. "I need you to go away, so I can figure this out."

Han dropped to his knees on his other side. "Looks tough, kid. I used to be pretty good at puzzles. Maybe Her Worship and I can help you out."

Luke's blue eyes narrowed at him. "I don't need anyone's help."

"I'm not bad with puzzles, either. I used to do them all the time when I lived...well, when I had the time for things like that." Leia pushed one of the scarlet tiles to the edges, where it settled into the ice with a click. "Looks like this is where this piece goes."

Han's finger moved a larger, more jagged red piece against it. "And this one goes here."

"And I think this one goes here." The young Jedi gave Leia his first small smile she'd seen since they arrived. He moved another red one against Han's. "And I think this one goes here."

It took them nearly a hour of pushing tiles across ice on their knees, but the trio finally figured out the puzzle. Luke got the last green piece into place. "It's words," he exclaimed. "'Friendship melts the ice of the universe and warms the heart and soul of the galaxy."

"Luke?" The princess put an arm around her friend as he started crying. "Luke, are you ok?"

"Yeah. I think...I am now." As the tears gushed down Luke's cheeks, they gradually regained their regular pinkish-tan color. His eyes deepened to sky blue and lost the icy indifference. When he blinked, she noticed a bit of glass flutter from his eye, where it had been lodged. "Oh Leia, what have I done? What did I do?" He flung himself into her arms, sobbing heavily on her shoulder.

"I don't think it's entirely your fault, kid." Han brushed the sliver of glass from his eye. "You had this stuck in there. Probably those dumb trolls and their tricks."

Leia nodded. "That's what we heard when we were at Lady Gerda's. We were right at the foot of the mountain. Most trolls live in caves in mountains and hills. They may have been right behind us."

"Can we go home now?" Luke was shivering from top to bottom in Leia's arms. "I'm freezing! I don't think I'll ever get warm. Besides, the Queen told me I would be my own master if I solved the puzzle. She didn't say anything about having help to do it."

"I still haven't met Queen Frostra." She rubbed her hands as the three of them got to their feet. "I need to talk to her about joining the Alliance. That's why we came in the first place."

They didn't hear Chewie's bark and the sound of feet in icy armor until it was in back of them. "She's here now, Your Highness." They all whirled around...to find themselves face-to-face with Queen Frostra, in all her pale crystal and velvet magnificence. The head of Norweden was even more icily gorgeous than in her holo-portrait. Her creamy white waves went down her back, framing long lashes and a crown made of thin icicles. "I went to the City and the Summer Lands to find you, but it seems you've already found my home."

"Your Majesty." Leia bowed before her. "We're here to ask only two things. One, that you restore Commander Skywalker to us. And two, that you consider joining the Rebel Alliance. Commander Skywalker is of absolute importance to our mission, and we need all the manpower, supplies, and weapons we can get."

Frostra took Luke's hand, giving him her thin smile. "My boy, I told you that when you solved the puzzle, you would be your own master. You may do whatever you wish." A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I wish I could keep you, but I talked to Zoma when I was out. I just came back from her home, in fact. I think it's time we both stopped hiding. We'd be less lonely if we spent more time among our people and with Lady Gerda and the other members of the court and less in our own little worlds."

"So," the princess pushed, "you'll join us?"

Frostra nodded. "I'll have to talk to my Court and my sisters and brothers-in-law to make it official, but yes. Norweden needs to stop hiding, too. It'll be worth the losses if we can help you eliminate people like Vader and his Emperor who don't understand how important people are to each other."

"One more thing, Your Coldness." Han showed her the sliver of glass. "We think there's trolls in the mountains behind Lady Gerda's manor house who played a little trick on the ki...Commander Skywalker. That's what brought us up here in the first place. We came after him."

Chewie nodded with a curt bark as he lifted his bowcaster. Han gave her his lopsided smirk. "Yeah, Your Frostiness, we can take care of those guys, if you want us to. There were a bunch of robbers back in the woods that we wouldn't mind taking care of, either."

"That will be completely unnecessary, Captain Solo." Frostra gave him a little smile of her own. "I'll handle both the trolls and the robbers."

"We took the tauntaun pulling our repulsor-sleigh from the robbers." Leia waved her hand in the direction of the stable. "I make an offering of him. The repulsor-sleigh really belongs to Lady Gerda, but the tauntaun is ours."

"I'll set him free in the wild woods." Frostra's smile was much gentler with Leia. "I have plenty of my own tauntauns, and I'm sure he'd rather be among his own kind." She swept towards the door. "But for now, we need to talk to my court and deal with these miscreants you've mentioned.

Indeed, that is how it happened. Queen Frostra and twenty of her guards drove them in their repulsor-sleigh and the Queen's, keeping the tauntaun hitched until they reached the snowy woods again. Han unhitched him there, letting him give him a slobbering kiss (to the amusement of the others) before bounding into the brush.

They stopped just outside the robbers' castle. The guards turned the Queen's carriage over to the courtyard. "Be careful, men," Frostra warned them. "Princess Leia and her friends say these people are full of tricks, but they're also likely to be quite inebriated. Bring them to the royal jail in the City. We'll annex this building and find something to do with it, perhaps make it a royal zoo or nature preserve, so no other thieves try to take it as their home or bother the local wildlife."

They continued on to Herfa and Delent's home. They rushed out to greet them the moment they pulled into their courtyard. "We're so glad to see you again!" Herfa gave Leia a hug. "We were sure you'd perished, but Frostra told us that you had gotten through safely."

Delent had to blink several times when he saw Luke. "You do look like me!" the young prince exclaimed. "Only a bit shorter."

"And you look like me!" Luke grinned. "I've never been told I look like royalty before!" The two were fast friends before they even went in the house, laughing and chatting about flying and flowers.

Herfa convinced them to stay for a few hours, just to warm themselves. She even managed to get Frostra inside, though she insisted on not sitting too close to the fire. "I'm glad you changed your mind, sister." Herfa sipped her hot dewdrop fruit cider. "I think none of us can remain neutral in this war for much longer. It'll be worth dealing with Vader's wrath to stop them from taking over the rest of the galaxy."

"I agree." Frostra took her sister's hand and squeezed it kindly. "And Zoma and I promise to not hide so much anymore. I barely know my people, and she's even less familiar with them. We all rule this planet together."

Her sister gave her a hug, nearly spilling her hot tea on her lap. "That's all I've ever wanted."

Luke sniffled. Delent wiped his eyes with a woven handkerchief. Leia smiled at the two sisters. Han grumbled about having something in his eye before Chewie handed him one of the woven napkins and used another for his own wet eyes.

They stayed overnight, showering and dressing in new, warmer clothing that didn't smell like tauntaun, before taking off once again in the repulsor-sleigh. Frostra promised her sister that they'd sit down and have a longer talk with Zoma at the main government building in the City. Luke and Delent exchanged holo-addresses and made their own promises to get together again sometime.

It was two days later when they finally pulled into the stable at Lady Gerda's house. She came out to greet them, as lovely as ever in her blue velvet gown. "Welcome back, Your Highness, Commander, Captain and Navigator." Gerda curtsied low before Frostra as Luke helped her out of the carriage. "Your Majesty. It's an honor to have you in my home again."

"It's an honor to be back, Lady Gerda." She gave her that mysterious little smile. "We have much to discuss, including joining the Alliance. But first," slender fingers waved at the craggy hills behind them, "I have something I need to do in your backyard. It seems that you have a few miscreants causing trouble in the mountains behind your home."

"Oh dear," Gerda groaned, sounding remarkably to Leia like their droid C3P0, "what have those idiot trolls done this time?"

Han crossed his arms. "They were the reason Luke took off. Some glass got into his eye an' made him into a jerk."

His young friend's cheeks turned a rosy scarlet. "I felt this piercing in my eye, and then...I couldn't feel. I didn't care about anything, or anyone. It was like...I couldn't love."

"When you cried, Luke," Frostra explained gently, "you washed that sliver away, along with the spell I put on your heart." Luke glared at her, but she put up her hand. "I did that so you wouldn't freeze at my home. None of you could have survived for longer than the few hours you were at my domain if I hadn't. I do realize it was wrong to try to keep you like a pet now. I should probably find a tame tauntaun or kittane who can deal with the cold, or maybe take on a human apprentice to teach my secrets to."

"I much admired your Jedi and their padawan/master system," Frostra went on with a smile. "I hope you can bring them back someday. We need more learners and teachers in the galaxy."

Luke returned her smile with his own sunshine grin. "I hope so too, Your Majesty."

They were now in the backyards, facing the mountains. Chewie barked and pointed his bowcaster. They could see three blurry brown figures against the soft white snow. Their screeching arguments carried for miles and sounded like the wind howling.

"Hold on to your hats and each other." Frostra put her hand to her lips. "I'll need a bit of snow magic to take care of them." As she blew across her hand, the wind she created blasted across the yard, nearly knocking everyone over. It danced across the mountains, lifting up the trolls, and carrying them so far away, they would never be able to cause a living soul trouble again.

"Wow!" Luke let go of Leia and hurried over to her. "Can you teach me to do that?"

"Maybe." Frostra took his arm, ignoring his shiver. "If you teach me how to handle a lightsaber. I've always wanted to learn to use one."

Luke couldn't help smiling. "Sure!"

Leia grinned as Han and Chewie took her arms. "Looks like I have two scruffy-looking escorts," she teased.

"Scruffy? Us?" Han gave her that famous lopsided grin as Chewie let out a whuffling laugh. "Nahh."

They all laughed as they made their way through the snow back to Lady Gerda's home, occasionally stopping to throw a snowball at their backs or blow a bit of snow under their collars. Leia was glad they'd gained an ally and a friend...but more than that, she was glad she had Luke, and Chewie, and yes, even Han. She didn't know if they'd always be together, but they had each other now. That was what mattered.


End file.
